Latest news with #WildlifeInstitute
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Away from hostile borders, bustards find home in Ajmer
On May 9, two days after Pakistan launched drones and missiles targeting various locations in India — most were brought down by India's air defence system — India moved some precious cargo from Jaisalmer, around 10km from the Pakistan border, to Ajmer, roughly 500km to the east. The live cargo, nine Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) chicks, were moved in special vehicles to a centre that may now be the second captive breeding centre of a species that has been reduced to a few hundred individuals. Captive breeding — 25 chicks were hatched from captive breeding efforts in the past year alone — has emerged as a possible way to combat (or at least defer), the imminent extinction of the species, and in the wake of the drone attacks, the Rajasthan forest department decided to provide a second home to captive bred GIBs in Ajmer, moving some from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) run captive bred centre in Jaisalmer. Senior scientist at the Wildlife Institute, Sutirtha Dutta, said the GIB chicks were shifted to Ajmer on May 8 for 'security' reasons. 'As the Ramdevra Centre is located near the border, and in light of the tense situation and massive drone activity, the relocation was necessary to ensure the birds' safety and protection.' Dutta added that nine chicks were shifted on May 8, and there were plans to relocate the remaining ones in the following weeks. However, the plan has been postponed with the two sides agreeing to a ceasefire. On the morning of May 7, India struck at nine terror hubs in Pakistan, a response to the killing of 26 Indians in a targeted attack by terrorists in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22. Pakistan responded by launching waves of drones and missiles at civilian and military targets in India. Indian forces repulsed these attacks and struck back, inflicting major damage on Pakistani military installations including air bases. On May 10, Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations called up his Indian counterpart requesting a cessation of hostilities. According to Dutta, the chicks, aged between five and 20 days were transported in specially designed soft-suspension vehicles to ensure their comfort and safety. He added that the transportation was conducted under the supervision of expert handlers, with a dedicated team of trainers accompanying the chicks to ensure their well-being. He added that bringing the chicks back is not only challenging but also unsafe. 'We are exploring the option of whether we can keep them there permanently or return them once the situation stabilizes,' he said. Brijmohan Gupta, deputy conservator of forest at the desert national park (DNP) in Jaisalmer, said, 'They are discussing the possibility of keeping the chicks there to provide a second home for them.' He added a final decision will be taken in a few days. Dutta said the choice of Arwar village in Ajmer district was strategic as it has already hosts the Lesser Florican Conservation Centre and is equipped with the necessary infrastructure for handling sensitive conservation operations. Arwar village hosts India's first Lesser Florican Conservation Breeding Centre, a vital initiative aimed at saving one of the country's most endangered grassland birds. Developed jointly by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Rajasthan forest department, the centre aims to reverse the drastic decline of the Lesser Florican (Sypheotides indicus), known for its dramatic courtship leaps during the monsoon. In 2023, the centre achieved the successful hatching of 11 Lesser Florican chicks—a landmark moment in the species' recovery. This was the first time such a number of hatchings occurred in captivity in India, offering hope for increasing the bird's critically low population, currently estimated to be under 250 in the wild. The population of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard under India's national breeding programme has doubled from its founding number in just two years. On May 9, the programme marked the hatching of its 18th chick of the year, with nine of them born through artificial insemination—a ground breaking achievement in avian conservation. The remaining chicks were born naturally under controlled, captive conditions, officials said. Since it began in June 2019, the Bustard Recovery Programme has successfully reared 62 birds in total from wild-collected eggs and through captive breeding efforts. Currently, the Ramdevra Breeding Centre in Jaisalmer houses 29 birds, the Sam Centre holds 24, and nine birds have recently been transferred to Arwar, Ajmer.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
UT to conduct wildlife census, expand monitoring in forest areas
1 2 Chandigarh: In a comprehensive assessment of the wildlife in the UT territory, the Chandigarh administration will conduct a wildlife census this year. The census will start in October and is likely to be completed within six months. Although a similar exercise was conducted for counting wildlife during 2020-2021, according to the officials, that was a survey, whereas this will be a proper census. It will include details such as what kind of wildlife is in which area and their numbers. Along with wildlife, information about birds will also be collected in the census. "The census will include the count of all species, different sub-categories of species, and their spread across the UT. Apart from the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary , this census will be completed in the Sukhna catchment area (in Chandigarh's jurisdiction), the forest area along Rao of Patiala, Dadwa forest, and other forest areas. This census will be completed in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute," said a senior UT official. The administration also plans to install more cameras to capture wildlife in Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary to spot the movement of wildlife, particularly any new additions. Last year, a leopard was captured in the cameras installed here to capture wildlife. Currently, cameras have been installed near some check dams, but to keep getting information about regular wildlife growth and movement, it has been decided that the forest department will install more such cameras in Nepali and Kansal forests. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like How can a 3-month-old get cancer? Please help! Give Hope India Donate Now Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary in Chandigarh has a variety of wildlife. It also has the presence of sambhar, wild boar, and leopard. Many times, not only sambhar but other wildlife also come from the forest area to the urban area. Chandigarh became greener over a span of a decade, with its tree cover increasing by more than 100% and forest cover increasing by 44.84% between 2013 and 2023. According to the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR-2023) from the Forest Survey of India, the tree cover stood at 10 sq km, which increased to 21.18 sq km, an increase of 11.18 sq km, translating into more than 111% decadal growth. During the same decade, the forest cover in the city increased from 17.26 sq km to 25 sq km, an increase of 7.74 sq km. 'Tree cover' refers to the area covered by trees outside recorded forest areas. **BOX** Total forest area (in hectares): - Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary – 2610.99 - Lake Reserves Forest – 105.57 - Sukhna Cho Reserve Forest – 387.12 - Patiali-ki-Rao forests – 136.19 - Forest area at Brick kiln Manimajra – 5.53 - Total – 3245.30 MSID:: 120829729 413 |
